MINNEAPOLIS — Kahlef Hailassie saw the ball pop into the air and decided it was his.

Texans QB Graham Mertz threw a pass intended for receiver Daniel Jackson on third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter, and Vikings OLB Tyler Batty got his fingertips on the ball. Hailassie took the opportunity and snagged the pigskin for his second pick of the game.

The 24-year-old returned the interception 8 yards before being taken down; but he bounced back up to jog into the end zone and celebrate with "The Griddy."

"Had to do it, man," Hailassie laughed postgame. "First time at 'The Bank,' I had to do it."

The takeaway occurred just four minutes after his first, a Mertz ball that sailed over his intended target.

"I kind of showed a disguise, and I saw where his eyes were looking, and I trusted my gut," Hailassie described. "I saw him take his hand off the ball, and I just broke on the ball. Made a good play."

Hailassie's pair of picks, combined with one by cornerback Ambry Thomas, helped the Vikings defeat the Texans 20-10 in the teams' first preseason contest.

Just this past week, Vikings coaches moved Hailassie from cornerback to safety — a transition he embraced.

He's played safety before, but Hailassie said it's been "five or six years" since he was asked to do so. The California native played the position at Elk Grove High School and then to start his collegiate career at Oregon, but the Ducks shifted him to corner due a slew of injuries. Hailassie capitalized on the move and stayed at cornerback through his transfer to Western Kentucky, where he played for two seasons.

The Chiefs signed Hailassie as an undrafted rookie in 2023, but he was released during final roster cuts and joined the Browns. He signed a reserve/futures contract with Minnesota in January and has since been taking advantage of any opportunity that comes his way.

"For my whole NFL career I've been playing corner, so the switch is pretty new for me, but it's definitely a comfortable spot that I'm in right now," he said. "The more versatile you are, the more valuable you are, and I feel like I'm very versatile.

"I can play safety, inside [corner], outside," Hailassie added. "I think they see that, too, and that was the reason they made that move."

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell validated Hailassie's assumption during his press conference in the next room over, noting he and the rest of the coaching staff are "always trying to find those versatile skill sets."

"Sometimes it goes the other way, right? Sometimes it's how you use Harry (Harrison Smith) and Josh Metellus, and sometimes it's how you use those guys up front — edge guys that can kick inside or kick off the ball or drop in coverage," O'Connell said. "It really just jumped out to us with … whether it's Josh working through what he's working through with his foot, or whatever it was, it just seemed like some snaps were there, and he's got corner coverage skills and a physicality and ball skills that seem to fit with how we play football here.

"Not surprised that he was around the football and made some plays" O'Connell added. "We talk a lot about tips and overthrows with what our defense can do, and that showed up tonight. I was really proud of him."

Hailassie wasn't the only Vikings defender who made an impact Saturday.

Minnesota recorded two sacks against Houston, with 1.5 of them being credited to Gabe Murphy.

The outside linebacker was all smiles in the locker room postgame, soaking in the moments from his first NFL action.

"I just want to give all the glory to God," said Murphy, who missed most of last season due to an injury and then finished out the back portion on Minnesota's practice squad. "It was just a blessing watching all the guys go to work today, me being able go to out there … I was just thankful."

Murphy made his presence felt in a big way early in the second quarter, streaking across the line of scrimmage to sack Kedon Slovis for a loss of 6.

"It was a dream come true, honestly. Something I dreamed about my whole life," he said. "In Madden I used to use U.S. Bank Stadium on the game. Just being able to make a play, my first sack ever in the NFL, being in U.S. Bank, Minnesota's stadium, it was a surreal moment for me."

Murphy later got in on a takedown just before halftime.

Slovis rolled out of the pocket and was sniffed out by Jalen Redmond, who got him on his heels. The QB tried to escape the pressure and was chased down by Redmond, Murphy and Bo Richter, with the latter two ultimately getting him to the ground.

"It was so fun chasing him down," smiled Murphy, who finished the day with a whopping five QB hits. "I was on the backside of the play and ended up running all the way to the other sideline."

Numerous Vikings contributed defensively to the preseason win, which featured a smattering of younger starters but mainly players who have been with the second, third or even fourth group throughout training camp.

Mekhi Blackmon led the team in tackles with five, followed by Zemaiah Vaughn and Chaz Chambliss with four apiece. Brian Asamoah II had three tackles, including one for loss.

Elijah Williams showed up with two tackles and two quarterback hits, and Austin Keys added a nice QB hit, as well. Hailassie wrapped his outing with three total passes defensed.

"That's what it comes down to — the opportunities," Hailassie said. "Somebody like me, undrafted, you know, you might not get too many opportunities, so you have to make the most of them when you're out there.

"I've been preparing for this ever since I've been out at OTAs, training camp," he added, "and to come out here on a Saturday game day and execute? It's just a great feeling."

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